ENGLISHChevrolet has been always a "middle class" division in the General Motors portfolio, just like Dodge in Chrysler, for instance. But such middle class is not necessarily the "cinderella" of the business and actually, for the largest carmakers, represents a good slice of the sales and therefore, of their earnings.

You may think that "middle class" is synonymous of boredom and I will tell you that few things are farther from reality =PPPPP...

This segment is, by far, the busiest in the automotive industry, with the widest variety of models, to cover the needs of most of the world’s population.

Also the middle class doesn’t lack of style, luxury and character; there is a bit of everything to choose and I will talk about one of the gems in this segment.

I guess the Bel Air name will mean something for some of the visitors and readers of this blog, I hope so...

Well, let me tell you that Bel Air is more than just a name...

In 1950 began the legacy of other of the most emblematic cars in the american history and during two years, the Bel Air was an automobile in the full-size range.

After 1953, Bel Air became just a designation for the premium trim level of vehicles made by Chevrolet and used in certain models.

The car was designed as a convertible with solid non-detachable roof and although this concept was used previously in other models of GM, it was successful for the first time.

The Bel Air rivaled in glamour with the more expensive models made by Cadillac, the luxury division of General Motors, in almost all aspects except, I guess, the overall size.

This name was around for 25 years (1950-1975) in the United States market and a few years more in Canada (for the local market, until 1981), which I think is not negligible !!!...

It belongs to the fifth generation of the Bel Air and it was really big, with more than 5 meters long.

The body design is neat and extremely sleek, it looks slender despite its size and the design of the hardtop with its slim pillars (a.k.a. bubbletop), helps a lot to this feeling.

The dose of chrome is rather moderate and is mainly in the beautiful front grille; the design of the tail is simple but graceful, everything is in the right place and there is plenty of room for six persons.

That’s what I call luxury, but I said it was a combination and the other ingredient (the high performance) is borne by a huge and luxuriant 409 cu in, 6.7 L, W-Block V8 engine, which coupled with a double four-barrel carburator, a four-speed manual transmission and a special package including: aluminum body panels and the removal of the heater, could boast 409 hp... WOW !!!...

Now I understand why it’s fairly appreciated in the drag racing and considered as a highly valuable item for collectors !!!...

A great car deserves a great diecast replica and Johnny Lightning sets one of the highest standards in the industry.

No wonder why I’m always fascinated by its latest releases, which achieve the best quality so far.

This 1962 Chevy Bel Air is part of the RC2 Brands Inc. era, after that, Takara Tomy became the owner.

This diecast is absolutely precious, the casting is incredibly sharp, no matter where you look.

This is dedication to detail, nothing was neglected.

It has diecast body and chassis, features openable hood and rubber tires with realistic wheels, matching the color of the body paint job in metallic turquoise (the authentic factory color in the actual car), complemented by the brilliant tampos and decoration. The finishes in the interiors and engine are extremely good, also they received a fine touch of paint.

It came in the usual big and thick card with resealable bubble (well, usual at that time, since lately JL is cutting down costs with smaller cards, just like those offered by Hot Wheels, but thicker) and the cherry on top is the awesome trading card included, with the picture of the car taken as reference so, you can easily check the extraordinary resemblance !!!...

Isa 24:18-21 "And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth."

4 comments:

I'm attracted to the smoothing metallic turquoise and appreciate those detailing by JL such as the fine and neat lines. It give that calm smoothing feeling as Bel Air suggested. The card makes excellent reference. BTW does the back of the card tell more about the car?

yep, the color is incredibly sweet, distinctive and rare to find, both in an actual car as in a diecast replica... Bel Air is everything about class and luxury so, the color scheme just fits this car like a glove...

well, about the trading card... only is printed on one side and there is no additional info about the car... fortunately, i’m becoming expert into dig in the web to find it... =)

that’s why i’m gonna miss too much this brand... and those who love a beautifully made model in 1:64 scale, should do the same :'( ... there is no worthy replacement for Johnny Lightning in the horizon... you better keep yours like a treasure, pal !!! =)

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